One of the most sacred of festivals in Bali is the cremation celebration. We had the great honor to visit a three village cremation in Bali. It is a joyous occasion that allows friends and family to pay final respects to their friends and departed family members.

Kecak is a form of Balinese music drama, originated in the 1930s and is performed primarily by men, although a few women's kecak groups exist as of 2006.Also known as the Ramayana Monkey Chant, the piece, performed by a circle of 150 or more performers wearing checked cloth around their waists, percussively chanting "cak" and throwing up their arms, depicts a battle from the Raymana where the monkey-like Vanara helped Prince Rama fight the evil King Ravana. However, Kecak has roots in sanghyang, a trance-inducing exorcism dance.

For more than a thousand years, Balinese worshipers have been drawn to Pura Tirta Empul, whose sacred spring is said to have been created by Indra and to have curative properties. The Balinese come from all over the island on pilgrimages to bathe in the holy springs and thus cleanse themselves spiritually.

The worshipers come as individuals or as entire families and encompass many generations. Fathers and and young sons display a wondrous bond in this most holy place.

A wondrous day of festival dance at the Prakhar festival in Bhutan. The dancers are all monks and are amazing to watch and to photograph. The dances are performed barefoot in a cobblestoned courtyard. We experienced a truly wonderful performance and were welcomed into the changing and practice areas where we photographed the monks as they put on the elaborate costumes and prepared for the dances.